Amateur radio

Amateur radio innovations and technology

Throughout its history, amateur radio has made significant contributions to science, engineering, industry, and the social services. The economic and social benefit derived from amateur radio research has founded new industries, built economies, empowered nations, and saved lives.

Related Topics:
Science - Engineering - Industry - Social services - Economic

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Amateur radio represents a unique research and development (R&D) environment that cannot be duplicated in the labs or research parks of either industry or the government. Existing at the intersection of the social, economic, cultural and scientific spheres, amateur radio leverages this position to invent and innovate from a unique perspective. Many now-commonplace communication technologies have their genesis in amateur radio.

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However, the amateur radio service, or more specifically, the portion of the electromagnetic spectrum allocated to the activity, is under extreme pressure from the telecommunications industry.

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Recent exponential growth in commercial wireless communication systems has taxed existing commercial spectrum allocations, and industry is eager for expansion. Amateur radio allocations in the UHF and microwave frequency spectrum are threatened in many countries. Historically, amateur radio operators, sometimes employees of large communications firms, are involved in the development of new communication technologies in underutilized portions of the radio spectrum. Amateur radio operators were the among the first, for example, to explore the microwave spectrum. Ironically, many of the communication technologies developed by the non-profit amateurs, become targets of business, once their viability is proven by the hobbiests.

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A current, (year 2005) problem includes proposals by some companies to transmit the Internet over powerlines. Known as BPL, this technology can create significant radio frequency interference to a wide variety of other spectrum users. While the U.S. Federal Communications Commission appears to be sympathetic to the industry, many European regulators have demonstrated mixed views and Japanese regulators have rejected an application in that country. Amateurs have been responding to the threat by conducting substantial research, and by gathering evidence of the BPL system's non-compatibility with many services including amateur and other commercial users of the medium wave, shortwave and lower VHF spectrum. As of 2005, field trials in the U.S., where the situation looks most problematic for hams, have generally been unsuccessful in meeting generally accepted radio pollution standards, and are often discontinued after brief attempts to attract customers.

Related Topics:
BPL - Federal Communications Commission - European - Medium wave - As of 2005

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Amateur Radio lobbyists argue that industry lobbyists overlook the many current-day contributions amateur radio operators make to our modern life, and portray the hobby as an anachronism while characterizing amateur bands, particularly in the UHF and microwave region, as "underutilized." Ironically, the move of commercial stations away from other parts of the radio spectrum have seen amateurs granted additional allocations in some countries, for example at 136 kHz, 500 kHz, 60 meters, 6 meters and 4 meters.

Related Topics:
136 kHz - 500 kHz - 60 meters - 6 meters - 4 meters

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